[Tom Laughlin]

Thank you all so much for all your info, and especially thank you to Brent and Michael for your posts as well, very encouraging.

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

Can you elaborate on what it means to shoot ‘flat’ and how one would know if it is flat or not, or any setting or lighting to verify? Sorry for the question.

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

I’m capturing using mini-DV cameras.

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

So, if shooting on the DVX-100, is the max resolution 720x480p or it is 853×480? With stock or non-stock, it’s all 480p wide screen and that’s it right? Has anyone every seen what it looks like up-res’d? Also, using 35mm lenses on it, it’s still pointless shooting on this camera cause it’s all SD in the end huh.

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

Yea, it’s pretty hit and miss, every once in a while you get a tape that miraculously captures completely in sync. I think I’m running FCP 5 on a G4 at home. It’s mostly a capture or encoding workstation used for things that aren’t urgent, but yes, I’ve had several suggest capturing it in 15-20 chunks, and that’ll fix it. Any other thoughts?

Thanks,

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

If I can get it for $600, is that too much? Also, does it require Panasonic studio quality tapes, or can you should with alternate brands of mini-DV tape?

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

Has anyone any news on this plug-in? Anyone tried it already?

Thanks,

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

Craig, I’m not defending those at NAB last year that were doing workshops or discussions on this, but a friend of mine who went to NAB last year, said he went to a panel about codecs and resolution, and he said that the panelists, or a few of them had mentioned that there still was some value in HDV, 1440×1080, and that although not full 1080p, it was still of some worth in still using it today. I’ve seen stuff shot in SP mode and shown on a HD monitor, and it doesn’t look that different from 1080p, obviously there’s a lot of variables to this, and all. But I think 1080p shooting, is way better. But the point at NAB was that they were saying that it still has value and shouldn’t be thrown out of the resolution ring. Understanding also that there are many who say, once you go 1080p, why go back? I guess part of it, is that the cards hold more minutes, 160 minutes on a card, in SP mode, and it looks fantastic on the web and on DVD. But yes, it doesn’t make sense to shoot HDV, when you have the ability to shoot Full HD, so I take your points perfectly.

So, if I’m shooting in CBR (HDV) 25Mbps on the EX-3 in SP mode, and Final Cut imports it, and it defaults the timeline at HDV 60i, should I ‘manaully’ change the Time-line Settings to the EX 35 VBR Mbps setting? Will this matter, or should this always be done this way. We shoot mostly talking heads and b-roll, not a lot of action, fast motion, or fast movement.

Thanks,

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

Yea, I know this doesn’t have anything to do with “film look”, I just didn’t want to have to start a new post. It was like, ok now that I’ve got my question answered, let me ask one more quick one, within the same post, so. No worries, thanks!

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel

[Tom Laughlin]

So, when I’m shoot using the EX-3, the “SP Mode”, here at my work is used to fit more footage on to a card, we can shoot more HDV on a card, obviously, than Full HD. When I drag the video into a FCP Time-line, this is what I get:

So it looks like the default is HDV 60i. So, is this basically good to go for editing, or so I need to change the codec on the timeline to another one, since it was shot in HDV (SP Mode) FCP auto-detects the format, so in the past, I’ve just left it alone, and all is well, but does one need to change to an EX-flavored codec? In other words, a codec like from the other codec listed below?

And what does changing the codec do to the codec, enhance it or maintain it, or it is the same thing? In other words, why change it? Pros or cons? Or does it matter in the end, since it’s HDV?

Also, when I change drag it into the time-line, it shows the frame-rate at 29.97, but we shot it 60i, does this matter? FCP seems to do it’s auto-adjustments and auto-defaults upon the media being imported and read, so I usually don’t mess with those things a whole lot, and in the end our output is for the web, so I’m not worried about that, it’s more of an editor staying true to upholding integral quality; visible and non-visible. Like if I shot with the DVX-100, I’d capture the video as how I shot it, let FCP auto-detect the raw video, and edit, I’d never ever upres it or change the time-line codec or frame-rate for any reasons, never thought there would be a need. Why change the time-line codec from DV (shot in DV) to an Apple Pro Ress Time-line? I saw some do that in film school, never made much sense…

Thanks,

Tom Laughlin
Producer/Editor
Salt Lake City, UT
FCP7/Sony EX-3/Mac Quad-Core Intel